Phones Help Me Decide, Galaxy Nexus now or wait for iPhone 5

[ugahairydawgs]

^very ignorant. have you SEEN apex launcher?

FYI....your point is a lot less likely to be completely overlooked if you leave out the

 

[jkim3691]

I'm thinking of selling my 4s and grabbing a GNex off the Google Play store. $350 for an unlocked phone is great. I've always been more of a tinkerer with my phones making them the way I want. I kept buying the iPhone (3GS, 4s) because I've had the original one ever since it came out and the familiarity was nice. But seeing as the direction as iOS6 is headed towards without any major changes and the leaked images of the new iPhone, I think I'm ready to switch over. I've been trying to come to a decision for days.

 

[outz]

I would probably wait since the gnex refresh will probably happen around the same time as the iPhone... at least then you can compare the 2

 

[asr10 user]

I'm also an iOS lover who will more than likely convert to the next Nexus. I'll wait until both the iPhone 5 and the next Nexus phones are both out. I wouldnt get an Android that was not a Nexus.

 

[DeepIn2U]

I'm thinking of selling my 4s and grabbing a GNex off the Google Play store. $350 for an unlocked phone is great. I've always been more of a tinkerer with my phones making them the way I want. I kept buying the iPhone (3GS, 4s) because I've had the original one ever since it came out and the familiarity was nice. But seeing as the direction as iOS6 is headed towards without any major changes and the leaked images of the new iPhone, I think I'm ready to switch over. I've been trying to come to a decision for days.

Does anyone have Duarte's direct - real - gmail email address?! I have a particular request I'm hoping others will also agree on.

* If the next Galaxy Nexus device has all the bells and whistles, along with Build Quality & Quality Materials (I don't know metal: magnesium/aluminum bezel, carbon fibre, etc) and competes in a class like the iPhone 4S/5 or BETTER ... then I think with iOS6, Apple is in serious trouble!

I'm also an iOS lover who will more than likely convert to the next Nexus. I'll wait until both the iPhone 5 and the next Nexus phones are both out. I wouldnt get an Android that was not a Nexus.

I'm in the same self debate. I'd have already traded my iPhone 4S ... IF it was 32GB for a Galaxy Nexus ... but I'm on a 64GB and its just more valuable (at least to me or trade value vs GNexus). I might just cave in.

The key part for me is:
Ability to use 80% equal apps (I still have to get used to THINGS!).
My TV shows/movies/music (paid/rental) from iTunes MUST be playable on Android 4.1 (currently and future updates) - I'm NOT leaving OSX not for Win7, Win8, or for ChromeOS junk!
Lack of confusion: I'd like to slightly tweak Droid for my needs but NOT at the expense of wasting work time.

 

[jkim3691]

Does anyone have Duarte's direct - real - gmail email address?! I have a particular request I'm hoping others will also agree on.

* If the next Galaxy Nexus device has all the bells and whistles, along with Build Quality & Quality Materials (I don't know metal: magnesium/aluminum bezel, carbon fibre, etc) and competes in a class like the iPhone 4S/5 or BETTER ... then I think with iOS6, Apple is in serious trouble!

I didn't say the build quality was better than what Apple puts out. That's actually one thing I would truly miss. The design is so classy and sleek that a plastic phone would definitely be somewhat disappointing. But I'm talking about the OS itself, screen estate, endless customization. I also like how there's no physical home button.

If the next iPhone is just a taller phone with iOS6 which is what the leaked pictures are telling me, I have no interest in continuing to buy iPhones.

 

[DeepIn2U]

I didn't say the build quality was better than what Apple puts out. That's actually one thing I would truly miss. The design is so classy and sleek that a plastic phone would definitely be somewhat disappointing. But I'm talking about the OS itself, screen estate, endless customization. I also like how there's no physical home button.

If the next iPhone is just a taller phone with iOS6 which is what the leaked pictures are telling me, I have no interest in continuing to buy iPhones.

I'm in complete agreement.

Its going to be tough because the previous 3 times I've tried Android, well each device prior to ICS didn't last more than a week. However, with JB I think I can give it a serious week try. I'm just going to miss the "polish" of iOS. I just don't know if I can do it: EVEN with how underwhelming iOS6 is.

What I mean earlier was I'd LOVE to see the next Galaxy Nexus ... be well a Galaxy Nexus Supreme! Quality materials.

 

[thadoggfather]

I like playing around with my GNex I got from Google a week and a half ago.

(sold my 4S 32GB last week because I figured even if I want the next iPhone, I can keep my GNex and get it for like almost nothing with the 2 year upgrade with the money I got-- haven't used an upgrade since i4, I traded my i4 and cash for a 4S back in January to a dude who couldn't wait any longer for jailbreak)

Plus I have my trusty iPad3 still for iOS servings.

iOS6 just doesn't seem terribly exciting.

 

[Razeus]

I'm hoping Apple is saving their best iOS 6 goodies for the iPhone event.

I would LOVE to be able to pick my own default apps for things like Mail (Sparrow), Camera (Camera+), etc. I'd love to delete stock apps I'm not sure why Apple continues to have NOT be able to delete them.

But, I know Apple. I have a feeling I'll be moving to a Android phone soon.

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And there lies my problem. With the iPhone, I love the design of it all the way around.

If I move to Android, I'd like the Nexus because of its true Android OS experience without the manufacturers UI, like TouchWiz or whatever. But the camera on the Nexus sucks.

So if I go the SG3 route, I'd get the better camera, but I have to deal with the lame colors of steel blue . I would have to the white version because they didn't think to have a black version of the phone. Furthermore, I wouldn't want to use TouchWiz so I'll probably have to load a ROM to get the original Google OS experience.

 

[Vegastouch]

I'm hoping Apple is saving their best iOS 6 goodies for the iPhone event.

I would LOVE to be able to pick my own default apps for things like Mail (Sparrow), Camera (Camera+), etc. I'd love to delete stock apps I'm not sure why Apple continues to have NOT be able to delete them.

But, I know Apple. I have a feeling I'll be moving to a Android phone soon.

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And there lies my problem. With the iPhone, I love the design of it all the way around.
If
If I move to Android, I'd like the Nexus because of its true Android OS experience without the manufacturers UI, like TouchWiz or whatever. But the camera on the Nexus sucks.

So if I go the SG3 route, I'd get the better camera, but I have to deal with the lame colors of steel blue . I would have to the white version because they didn't think to have a black version of the phone. Furthermore, I wouldn't want to use TouchWiz so I'll probably have to load a ROM to get the original Google OS experience.

You don't need to get a ROM if you don't like touchwiz, just download another launcher and use that one. As for using white, you can get many different colored battery covers ob ebay if you want. I didn't like the blue phone myself but ive had black phones for the past 8-9 years so white is fine with me.

 

[DarwinOSX]

Get the nexus. The jellybean update is excellent (no lag) and the camera is still decent. Outdoors the pictures are excellent. The video recording and the microphone are top notch too. The build quality is still quite good. It feels solid and there's no creaking. Nothing like the nexus s which I thought felt cheap. It also can take a much worse fall before breaking. Apple products might feel solid but they are not durable at all. I would call that a strike against its build quality. The front camera on the nexus is also much much better than the iphones and iPads. Overall I am extremely happy with my Verizon nexus and would still buy it today even with the newer phones like the s3 out.

Huh? Even Android weenies agree that the nexus camera is terrible. Also the antenna's.
OP, There will be a new nexus and iPhone 5 soon. Wait a few months and then decide.
Personally I would get an S III and a new rom on it before the current Nexus.

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You don't need to get a ROM if you don't like touchwiz, just download another launcher and use that one. As for using white, you can get many different colored battery covers ob ebay if you want. I didn't like the blue phone myself but ive had black phones for the past 8-9 years so white is fine with me.

True but you still have unnecessary services for Touchwiz' bloatware etc running under that launcher. That's the reason to get a new rom.

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I'm in complete agreement.

Its going to be tough because the previous 3 times I've tried Android, well each device prior to ICS didn't last more than a week. However, with JB I think I can give it a serious week try. I'm just going to miss the "polish" of iOS. I just don't know if I can do it: EVEN with how underwhelming iOS6 is.

What I mean earlier was I'd LOVE to see the next Galaxy Nexus ... be well a Galaxy Nexus Supreme! Quality materials.

I would wait until the final build of iOS 6 and the showing of the iPhone 5 before assuming anything. I'm guessing there will be a new Nexus phone soon as well. The current one has had all sort of issues with radios etc.

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If you read Android forums on the nexus they are full of threads about issues with the radios,camera, etc. Many people are on their fourth or fifth. Don't assume because tis is an Apple forum some of us don't know just as much about Android.

You can easily set multitasking to open with a gesture. I have swipe up for multitasking, swipe down for settings and double tap for search.

I really don't get the hate for the Nexus on Macrumors.

It's a great looking device that runs pure Android, has a nice big screen that looks really nice with a bit of tweaking, it's dev friendly, gets quick updates and is $350 unlocked.

I've had mine since launch and I love it.

It's hard to take people seriously they talk about how **** it is.

I have Apple products, measuring the Nexus against them it doesn't fall short in any way besides lacking Jony Ive's incredible design talents.

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Talking about updates. iPhone 4 did not get Siri just ONE year later after being released.
So Apple is no better in updates. They leave you without the biggest new features to force you to update the same way Samsung and others doo.

Siri requires hardware that is not in the iPhone 4. this has been common knowledge for some time.
It is laughable to compare Apple with samsung or any Android manufacture. Are you really that unaware of the difference between how many iPhone users of all models are on the latest iOS compared to Android? There have been a zillion articles on this so Google it. The difference is in multiple orders of magnitude.

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Android makes poor use of dual and quad core because it is not optimized for them. Look it up. This has been shown many times. It's also why dual and quad core phones show the same performance.
According to a recent Anandtech article the iPhone 4s has better battery life when web browsing than any other phone and is close in everything else. This is despite having a much smaller battery than the gigantic Android phones. This is because iOS is more highly optimized in many ways than Android.
Like so many things Android fans say, because they want to believe it, the actual facts from data disprove your point.

I've said it before and i'll say it again
Why is it relevant if iOS is more efficient with the cores it has?
At the end of the day, you base your user experience on what the screen displays. If android is super smooth on a quad-core proccessor then great. From a consumer's point of view, they don't need to know what is running underneath, if it works, it works!
Also, recent smartphones have a better battery life than the dual-core 4s anyway, so please tell me the problem?

 

[cynics]

Siri requires hardware that is not in the iPhone 4. this has been common knowledge for some time.
It is laughable to compare Apple with samsung or any Android manufacture. Are you really that unaware of the difference between how many iPhone users of all models are on the latest iOS compared to Android? There have been a zillion articles on this so Google it. The difference is in multiple orders of magnitude.

IPhone 4 had Siri when it was available in the app store. Apple removed the app and killed the connection to 4 users when the 4S came out. That is the common knowledge, unless I'm forgetting something....

Btw the cdma gnex was the nexus that had radio issues....And usually its that app that's not optimized for dual/quad core. I can use nenamark and get 23.4 frames per second with my Xoom but The much more complex game dead trigger runs at 40-50. As long as I have the FPS where I need it is all that matters too me...

 

[jkim3691]

Siri sucks anyways. I only use it to ask it to play my music. Anything else it botches and/or takes too long.

 

[irDigital0l]

How about you do the obvious thing and wait for the new iPhone to be announced. If you don't like it then go for the Galaxy Nexus.

If you can't wait, then get the Galaxy Nexus.

Its not hard.

 

[jkim3691]

How about you do the obvious thing and wait for the new iPhone to be announced. If you don't like it then go for the Galaxy Nexus.

If you can't wait, then get the Galaxy Nexus.

Its not hard.

Or buy the Nexus and sell whatever you have now. Thus, your contract is not renewed, you keep your upgrade, and offset the cost of buying the Nexus.

 

[The iGentleman]

[/COLOR]Android makes poor use of dual and quad core because it is not optimized for them. Look it up. This has been shown many times. It's also why dual and quad core phones show the same performance.
According to a recent Anandtech article the iPhone 4s has better battery life when web browsing than any other phone and is close in everything else. This is despite having a much smaller battery than the gigantic Android phones. This is because iOS is more highly optimized in many ways than Android.
Like so many things Android fans say, because they want to believe it, the actual facts from data disprove your point.

And you don't think that has anything to do with the fact that the screen is 22% smaller than a 4.5" screen? A 22% difference is a big difference in size. That's a lot of screen to not have to power. The battery should be better.

 

[iosuser]

With much hesitation I bought the unlocked gnex last week because it's only $350 unlocked contract free. I fully expected to quickly go back to my 64GB 4S. Nope, I call up AT&T to request the unlock and as soon as I get the confirmation I'll restore and sell it. With jelly bean it is every bit as smooth as the 4s, actually seems faster as the android browser allows fast and long scroll unlike safari on iOS.

I played with two different galaxy s3, they were both running hot and horribly laggy, I don't know if it's because of the Samsung bloat but it didn't matter after the second try. I was considering it for the expandable storage. Better off I guess I'll save my upgrade and see what iPhone 5 is like, but it looks like no sale at this point if the odd tall and narrow screen is to be believed.

Absolutely no lag on the gnex with jelly bean! I even got to keep Flash because I had it installed while it was on ICS.

 

[cynics]

If you guys are in a store and the phone is running hot its more then likely its plugged in and being charged by a higher amp charger. My iPhone does this with my 2.5amp car charger. I've been meaning to get an Apple car charger...

 

[TL24]

Well I jumped the gun and bought a new GNexus off of Craigslist for $300 which was a steal! Anyways, after using the GNexus running 4.1 and rooting and installing custom roms I can honestly say Jelly Bean has iOS beat in the software department. Now this isn't to say iOS is horrible or boring, if there's one thing iOS does right its this: IT JUST WORKS.

In the end though I think I'll end up selling the GNexus and keep my 4S. The retina display is still one of the best display in the game (behind the HTC One X) and it still has the best camera as well. Those two factors play a big role in MY world so until the next iPhone comes out or the next Nexus comes out I'll just stick to my beautiful 4S.

 

[depths]

Before you send it back try Francos kernel/app and play around with the color/gamma/contrast. Makes a big difference.

 

[The iGentleman]

Before you send it back try Francos kernel/app and play around with the color/gamma/contrast. Makes a big difference.

I never like these types of recommendations. If a person has to start messing with kernels and such, something is wrong. Kernels and such should be a bonus, not a necessity.

 

[TL24]

Before you send it back try Francos kernel/app and play around with the color/gamma/contrast. Makes a big difference.

Actually I have that installed right now. I just can't stand this pentile screen now that I've used a retina display and seen the super lcd2 display that the HTC One X has.

I also take a lot of pictures and videos so the 4S is the right choice for me.

Don't get me wrong, the GNexus is the best Android phone in my opinion. Pure Android on Jelly Bean is the best OS I've used so far but it's hardware is where it falls short. Hopefully the next GNexus will have top of the line specs to match the iPhone 5 and who knows what the specs of these two phones will be. I think competition will only benefit us, the consumers.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Actually I have that installed right now. I just can't stand this pentile screen now that I've used a retina display and seen the super lcd2 display that the HTC One X has.

I also take a lot of pictures and videos so the 4S is the right choice for me.

Don't get me wrong, the GNexus is the best Android phone in my opinion. Pure Android on Jelly Bean is the best OS I've used so far but it's hardware is where it falls short. Hopefully the next GNexus will have top of the line specs to match the iPhone 5 and who knows what the specs of these two phones will be. I think completion will only benefit us, the consumers.

Discovered this is NOT the experience I hoped for. Thank GOD I kept my iP4S!!

Issues with official JellyBean installation:
* Bloomberg app continuously crashes.
* cannot setup Exchange 2010 email (ActiveSync). This seems to be a widespread problem on Galaxy Nexus even on ICS.
^ yes I do have access to Exchange Management console 2010 & verified my account has ActiveSync enabled and no policy's restricting access as I'm in the loop on our MDM/ActiveDirectory/Exchange implementation solution. My iPhone is NOT on an MDM so i can verify that ActiveSync is enabled.

Beyond applications, beyond themes & tweaking on a modern OS ... maybe because I'm not converted to iOS fully for months and used to the OSX/iOS solution ... maybe cause even JellyBean is rough around the edges > its not cut out for me. Maybe if I chose Sony's Xperia S/Ion with their light theme I'd be pleased. I don't know. But if I cannot get Exchange ActiveSync 2010 working on the unit (I've tried all methods documented with various settings) then this cannot be my primary device.

The screen quality is not that good - belongs back in 2009; even if its incredibly huge. I'll agree on retina.

To put things bluntly ... Apple SW Engineers KNOW what their doing EVEN if features are not implemented or done slowly - we all know that mantra when it is implemented "It simply just ... works"! I don't WANT to waste time tweaking and fiddling with the OS (I'll reserve that to the pimple kids that take the time to write step by steps and proven to work).

What I need out of a primary smartphone:
Calls - this by FAR is important for me (it is my mobile work phone)
Corporate & Personal Emails with Folder redirection.
(^ and iPhone does this reliably with aplomb, better than any BB I've used for 10years! I'm talking MONTHS of uptime without ANY slow down in performance. The ONLY thing - even in iOS6Beta2 - is that Drafts on device does NOT sync on Exchange 2007/2010).
Tasks
Notes
Quality Pictures/Screenshots
Music PlayBack/Sync (playlists and individual tracks)
Record Voice Notes/Meeting Minutes while on standby or working with 3rd Party Applications.
Rapid Language switching
(^ These last two where due to a recent need in the last 4wks due to revising notes from Spanish classes).


BONUS I'd like to see on iOS6 official rollout:
Live Rapid translation will be a future bonus.
SIRI Updates: ALL specifically enabled WITHOUT Internet Connectivity!
Local Device Search
Local Device Voice Dictation
Local Device Application Launch/Control
Local Device Commands

 

[jeffe]

You don't need to get a ROM if you don't like touchwiz, just download another launcher and use that one. As for using white, you can get many different colored battery covers ob ebay if you want. I didn't like the blue phone myself but ive had black phones for the past 8-9 years so white is fine with me.

Actually, if it is anything like it used to be, some parts of touchwiz remain even when using another launcher..like the notification toggles and what-not.

 

[illyb2000]

Would anyone agree that the new iPhone (whatever the name is) should blow the galaxy s3 out the water ? If it doesn't then a lot of users will leave? What can the new iPhone do that Samsung s3 cannot?